Evaluation of the Authoritarian Personality as an Explanation for Obedience

Question 1

There may be a mediating factor for authoritarian and obedience, which is education. Why is this a limitation (Example)

Answer 1

Middendorp found that people who had a lower level of education are more likely to show authoritarian personality. Elms and Milgram found a correlation with participants who had completed Milgram’s electric shock experiment.

Question 2

There may be a mediating factor for authoritarian and obedience, which is education. Why is this a limitation (Explanation)

Answer 2

Link to lower level education and authoritarian personality. Establish a cause and effect as the mediating shows a clear link. Limitation as it is not measuring people personality: reduces internal validity

Question 3

There is research to support that people who show left-wing views are less likely to have the authoritarian personality. Why is this a strength (Example)

Answer 3

Begue replicated Milgram’s study and created a fake game show and asked them to complete a questionnaire about their political beliefs. He found that those on the left were less likely to give the highest shocks.

Question 4

There is research to support that people who show left-wing views are less likely to have the authoritarian personality. Why is this a strength (Explanation)

Answer 4

Provides supporting evidence that political viewpoint influences obedience.

Question 5

One problem with the F-scale questionnaire is that it has methodological issues. Why is this a weakness (Explain)

Answer 5

A person would be marked as authoritarian by selecting agree to every statements. Questions should be ordered in another direction so disagreeing would show authoritarian.

Question 6

One problem with the F-scale questionnaire is that it has methodological issues. Why is this a weakness (Explanation)

Answer 6

Doubts the validity of the findings. Don’t know if the questionnaire is internally valid as it may actually be measuring the levels to which someone will agree to a statement rather than if anyone has the authoritarian personality.

Question 7

Milgram and Elm’s suggested that people who have the authoritarian personality aren’t necessarily people who have the strictest of upbringings. Why is this a limitation (Explain)

Answer 7

After their study they asked participants about their upbringings, they found that many of the obedient participants had good relationships with their parents and not a punishment orientated environment

Question 8

Milgram and Elm’s suggested that people who have the authoritarian personality aren’t necessarily people who have the strictest of upbringings. Why is this a limitation (Explain)

Answer 8

Highlights Adornos beliefs about causes of authoritarian personality may not be true decreasing the validity.